Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Any tips on toilet training baby rats?

Two six week old rats, both weeing all over the cage, have tried blocking off areas so they just have one toilet corner, but they just go behind and wee again. Have removed levels as they were weeing round the food bowls - any suggestions? Have litter tray for them etc.Any tips on toilet training baby rats?
Most rats will litter train themselves if you give them the equipment and opportunity. Some will always remain obstinate about it all though.





Rats will pee around their cage, anyway, even if they are litter trained or not! It's their way of scent marking and claiming the cage as their territory. They will also pee in and around their food bowl for the same reason, sounds gross I know, but it's just what they do :)





At six weeks old your rats are still babies !! They are very young to be able to hold their pee and poops for very long, you have to accept that they will occasionally have accidents.





Just give them their litter tray, keep putting their poops into it and they will eventually get the idea that that's the place to go. I really don't see the point of blocking off areas and taking out levels to get them to go where you want them to, it's their cage can't you just let them do what they want in there ?!?!?!





You maybe just have to be a little more patient with them ;)Any tips on toilet training baby rats?
Rats are highly intelligent creatures and can be trained to do many simple tasks. Litter training is something that is well worth a little effort on your part, as it can save you lots of time in cleaning up and also money in buying bedding.





The whole training methodology works on the premise that rats are clean creatures and will go to the toilet where they smell that they, or other rats, have already gone. The procedure is as follows:





1. Find the corner of the cage that your rats usually go to the toilet, then place a tray filled with litter there. I use flat tupperware containers available from discount stores for about AUD$2 as a litter tray.


2. Toss in any raisins or wet litter you can find in the cage to make it smell like a rat toilet area.


3. Now this is the most important part... Remove all litter from the rest of the cage, or use a different bedding. It's essential that your rats can distinguish between the toilet area and the living area. e.g. I use Breeders Choice recycled paper pellets in the litter tray, and old towels and fabric strips elsewhere as bedding.


4. Place your rats in the tray to show them it's there. If they go elsewhere in their cage, say ';No!'; and place the rat (and the raisins) in the litter tray. If they go in the tray, praise them like crazy and give them their favourite treat. They'll soon get the idea.





Often this training method will only work for raisins, not pee... especially with male rats who are determined to keep their cage well scented. You can try removing pee smells by using products like Nilodor or vanilla, but often it just makes them more determined to re-scent it. Of course, there's also those stubborn rats who simply will not use a tray no matter how hard you try. Persist... after all, every raisin in the tray is one less you have to pick up later.





Litter training makes things so much easier on you. It's much simpler to clean out the cage (just scoop out soiled litter and replace as needed) and certainly cheaper. I think the rats much prefer the fabric and towels to live on anyway... it's less dusty, cleaner, softer on ratty feet, more fun to dig in and much quieter during those midnight skirmishes.





It's a good idea to have a litter tray for their use when outside their cage too... either as a separate play area tray, or simply access to their cage. When you get them out to play, place them in the tray so they know where it is. Every half hour or so, place them back in the tray to remind them it's there. If they use it, praise them like crazy and offer them treats.





Good luck!

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